After the uprising of the Iranian peoples in 1979, the monarchical rule in Iran collapsed and was replaced by the Islamic Republic, and the leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party was able to establish good relations with the new Iranian authorities. One of the most tragic and influential events that occurred in early 1979 was the death of the leader Mustafa Barzani on March 1, 1979, and the return of his body to the town of Oshnavieh in Eastern Kurdistan on March 4 of the same year.
The situation of regional transformations in general and the death of the leader Mustafa Barzani, which affected the Party's organizations, necessitated holding a party congress. In this regard, the Provisional Leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party organized an expanded meeting in early July 1979 in the village of Shawana, north of the town of Oshnavieh in Eastern Kurdistan. Several decisions were issued from the meeting, the most important of which was the election of Masoud Barzani as interim president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party until the Ninth Congress was held and a preparatory committee for the congress was formed.
Holding the CongressFollowing its recommendation at the Shawana meeting, the Preparatory Committee for the Congress began its preparations. In addition to this committee, several other preparatory committees were formed by the branches, which consisted of their members. The preparations were completed within three months, and the members were promoted to the congress through elections. The Ninth Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party was held under the slogan (Kurdistan or Annihilation - A progressive coalition democratic rule in Iraq and true autonomy for Kurdistan) from November 10 to 14, 1979. The congress was attended by 325 delegates. It was initially held in the village of Darband, then moved to the Zeweh refugee camp west of Urmia in Eastern Kurdistan. The congress began its proceedings by reading a report by President Masoud Barzani, followed by speeches by the Iraqi Communist Party and several other parties that attended the congress.
At the beginning of the congress, some members of the Provisional Leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Sami Abdul Rahman, withdrew after a number of their demands were not met. Among the demands was that the members of the Provisional Leadership should not be put to a vote, and that they should directly become members of the Central Committee, but this proposal of theirs was rejected by the congress, and this led to the separation of some members of the Provisional Leadership from the party, who later formed the Kurdistan Democratic People's Party.
The withdrawal of some members of the Provisional Leadership did not lead to the disruption of the congress; rather, the attendees continued its work. During it, President Masoud Barzani was unanimously elected as President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Afterwards, the congress members elected the new Central Committee of the party, which consisted of:
1- Ali Abdullah
3- Nuri Shaways
4- Fazel Mirani
6- Rashid Arif
7- Mohammed Malla Qadir
8- Khurshid Salim Shira
10- Dr. Roj Nuri Shaways
11- Abdullah Barwari
12- Lieutenant Ali
13- Lieutenant Yunis Rozbayani
14- Lieutenant Hajar Sindi
15- Hamid Barwari
16- Dr. Mohammed Salih Juma
17- Azad Barwari
18- Najmaddin Yusifi
19- Hoshyar Zebari
20- Dr. Mohammed Saeed Doski
As for the alternate members of the Central Committee:
2- Hamid Afandi
4- Azad Qardaghi
5- Dr. Kamal Kirkuki
The congress granted the Central Committee the authority to form an investigative committee to follow up on complaints and appoint the party secretary, as well as to select members for the Political Bureau and the Central Committee to replace those who left the party.
After the end of the congress, the first regular meeting of the Central Committee was held under the supervision of President Masoud Barzani in the Zeweh camp, which lasted for three days. During it, the Political Bureau of the party was formed, which consisted of: Ali Abdullah - Secretary, Idris Barzani, Fazel Mirani, Falakaddin Kakayi, Dr. Mohammed Salih Juma, President Abdullah Barwari, and Nuri Shaways - members.
One of the congress's decisions was to dismiss the former Central Committee members from the party, those who had left the party, with the exception of Salih Yusifi, who returned to Iraq with the approval of the leader Mustafa Barzani.
Sources• Mohammed Malla Qadir, Record of Struggle, A Brief History of the Party and the Immortal Barzani, Third Edition, (Erbil – Aras Press, 2012).
• History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Congress and Conference (Program and Internal Regulations), Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Authority, Volume One, (Erbil - Roxana Press - 2021).
• Salah al-Kharsan, Political Currents in Iraqi Kurdistan, A Reading in the Files of Kurdish Movements and Parties in Iraq 1946-2001, (Beirut – Al-Balagh Press – 2001 AD).
• Habib Mohammed Karim, History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iraq (In Key Milestones) 1946 - 1993, (Duhok - Khabat Press - 1998 AD).
• Mohsen Dizayi, Milestones of My Life, Part Three and Final (Erbil – Mokriyani Press - 2015).
• Kayhan Newspaper, No. 10751, Tehran, 16 Tir 1358 SH - July 7, 1979 AD.
• Bamdad Newspaper, No. 53, Tehran, 17 Tir 1358 SH - July 8, 1979 AD.
• The Political, Military, and Organizational Report of the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Comrade Masoud Barzani, to the Ninth Congress of our party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, held during (November 4-11, 1979).
• Members of the Central Committee and the Political Bureau at the Ninth Congress 1979, Khabat Newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Issue 794, Erbil, Monday, August 12, 1996 AD.